Columnists

We’ve just put the finishing touches on the Summer issue of Homemakers magazine. It’s off to the presses now, and readers, you’ll have it in your mailbox soon. I won’t spoil anything for you, but among our terrific lineup of  timely health information, delicious recipes and compelling stories, many of which celebrate Canada, we have a nifty feature that happens to show a parasol.

Gazing at the beautiful page (well, proofreading it, actually) featuring the parasol, I got thinking that maybe this accessory’s time has come. Come back, that is. After all, you can’t always have a tree where you want one, so portable shade is a cool idea. Why not forget give that splashy umbrella you bought a second life on sunny days?

And parasols could protect us from more than heat. According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), we should shield ourselves from the sun – i.e., with fabric – as our primarily defense against skin cancer (and the effects of aging skin) rather than rely solely on sunscreens. That’s because many sunscreens, particularly those advertising a very high SPF, are only protecting us from sunburn, not those other, long-term and serious outcomes, and many contain ingredients that can be harmful to us and to the environment.

So why not pop a parasol on your next sunny stroll, and see if you can start a healthy trend in your neighbourhood!

As I attempt to convert my garden into a hardy mix of drought-tolerant, butterfly attracting and native plants, I find I’m getting confused about what’s a weed and what’s not.

Well, what’s a weed anyway? The dictionary says, “A wild plant growing where it’s not wanted, and competing with cultivated plants.” Wait a minute! I want to support wild plants (I think that means native) and push back those of the cultivated variety. How about we redefine weeds as: any plant that spreads undesirably or threatens the biodiversity of an ecosystem?

The plants that bother me are those that just won’t stop spreading, mixing in with the space I’d alloted for other plants and taking over in general. That goes beyond our gardens, of course, to invasive species spreading through our forests, grasslands and other natural areas. And there are the plants that are irritants or just plain poisonous. I’d call those weeds too.

I’ve been showing pictures of suspicious plants to friends and family to get their input, asking, “Is this a weed?” I’ve looked for all of these in the Evergreen Native Plants
Database and I can’t find any of them, so I maybe they’re introduced species.

Here’s my wall of shame.

Spreads like wildfire! Not wildflower...

Tall with pretty leaves... but growing a little too well in the wrong spots.

Some kind of violet. (The kind that spreads!)

Walking around in Toronto’s stunning 32 degree C heat today, I couldn’t help but think that a few things we take for granted now might just become passé in the future, primarily due to energy costs (thinking realistically) but hopefully also in recognition of the effects of climate change.

1. Ice cubes. Sure, we can make ‘em easily in our freezers, but there’s a whole industry out there that creates, packages and ships quantities of ice to restaurants and sells bags of ice to grocery stores, gas stations and beer stores. If electricity prices went up to reflect the true energy cost, the per-cube cost might be prohibitive. Ice cream might fall victim to this too – but we can make our own. Here’s a delish patriotic recipe from Homemakers.

2. Patio heaters. When I was in California recently, just about every patio had a heater, often propane fired, but some were electric. It’s lovely to stay toasty well into the night, but I bet restaurants will forego that evening glow given higher energy costs. But they could bring in a welcome replacement: throw blankets!

3. Glass buildings. Apparently glass buildings are terribly energy intensive to heat and cool (see this article for more). There’s no insulation, so heat easily escapes, but the sun heats them like a greenhouse so they have to be cooled aggressively as well. With this info in mind, I’m concerned about all the glass condos dotting urban landscapes.

4. Standard office attire. I don’t know about where you work, but my office building’s managers try to keep the place the same temperature year round. Maybe it’s so that people in suits are always comfortable. To avoid being hit hard with heating and cooling costs, maybe we all need to wear sweaters in the winter and sandals in the summer.

5. Heated driveways. I know these are becoming more rare, but I still see glistening wet driveways on sub-zero days here in Toronto. I used to live in an apartment building with a steep ramp to its parking garage. The heater was on all winter, lest someone slide down the ramp and through the door.

Do you have any predictions about energy hogs that might go extinct?

Uh oh, what's he up to?

I’m fighting a territory war in my own backyard. No,it’s not the coons this time (although that battle ain’t over), it’s the cats. My neighbourhood is full of languorous wanderers in tabby and calico, sunning themselves on fence tops (such balance!) and, unfortunately, quietly marking their territory beyond their own yard. They seem very aware of property lines, and my undefended border (I love cats, but can’t have one due to allergies) is often crossed. And that’s where that smell was coming from.

The cats were trying to out-mark each other, each attempting to declare my platform deck their kingdom. When I saw one looking suspicious I’d yell at them: “Urine trouble now!” and chase them away. When I saw a cat just hanging out in my yard, however, I would sometimes try to befriend them, perhaps making them decide that my home was their extended home. But the reality is I’m not home enough for either of these tactics to be effective.

Last weekend, in an effort to stake out my territory, I stained my deck. (That sounds too simple. More like scrubbed, washed, scrubbed, taped off, vacuumed, stained my deck in the beating hot sun.) I used a low-VOC (volatile organic chemical) semi-transparent stain, a good choice for protecting existing wood, and the safer formulation is better for me and the wildlife visiting my yard.

But all that prepping and staining was my act of defending my territory. The cat smell is gone, the air is fresh and clear, and I’ve protected the wood from decay from the sun… and from the cats.

Next challenge: Does anyone have any tips for protecting gardens from cats?

In an effort to persuade all of us to use less electricity, The Ontario Power Authority, WWF-Canada and Air Miles have colllaborated on an energy conservation campaign. The Power Pledge campaign rewards Ontarians for pledging to take simple actions that will have lasting financial rewards and help fight climate change.

What kind of pledge would like they like us to make? Well, for example, to reduce phantom power in our homes. Phantom power is the electricity used by electronics and appliances even when they’re switched off — a problem that accounts for as much as 15 per cent of a home’s monthly energy use! To take the pledge, click here.

According to campaign materials, Ontario residents who take the Power Pledge by August 31 will earn 20 Air Miles and can direct an additional 10 reward miles to one of three participating charities (including WWF-Canada).

To inspire you to get started, the Power Pledge campaign members are offering Eco Logic readers a prize pack worth approx $250, including:
- A power bar with automatic shutoff to reduce phantom power
- 1,000 Bonus Air Miles (this could get $140 in grocery gift certificates, movie tickets or even a 3 piece luggage set)
- A cuddly toy panda from WWF-Canada
- Cold-water laundry detergent

To win, comment to this post about household energy use. Send me a tip on how you’ve reduced your energy consumption or what you pledge to do, or send me a question about reducing household energy use (which I will pass along to Ontario Power Authority). I’ll pick a random winner on Wednesday, May 26th at 5 p.m. Good luck!

I took the pledge; apparently if I do everything I promised (I’m doing most of the list already) I will save 4,164 kWh/year in energy savings, which would mean saving $433 a year on electricity (maybe more, since I’m with Bullfrog Power). Not a bad start!

Reading through the paper last weekend, I noticed two ads for suburb developments that got me thinking. Which is a good thing, because usually the ads for “Pine Woods” and “Elm Lanes” just get me upset, because they mean that a place that formerly had trees has been razed to the ground, stripped of valuable top soil and *poof*, one more piece of habitat has left the face of the earth forever (or for a really, really, really long time anyway).

But one of the ads I saw was for a new construction development that will be entirely heated and cooled through geothermal systems. (To me this just makes sense! Just install a larger system while the ground is ripped up anyway. The energy efficiency of each home will be very high while the utility costs for each home will be very low. Who wouldn’t want that?) The other ad noted that suburb homeowners could opt to have solar panels mounted on the roof of their new home for no extra charge, and they could then buy electricity at a reduced rate. (A renewable energy supplier is essentially leasing real estate for their panels from new home buyers and panel installation is just part of home construction. Brilliant!)

As a conservationist, I irrationally hate the idea that people need to (choose to!) live in new housing developments beyond current borders. That is totally not fair, I know, but I find myself applauding those who renovate older homes, or buy into loft conversions and new condo developments within existing cities or towns.

But, grudgingly, I recognize that new construction has to happen as our population increases. I think sites should be chosen that are not prime habitat for native wildlife, nor a popular corridor for their travels between prime areas. And new housing should be mixed together with parks, municipal service buildings and small retail stores. And they should be connected to public transit and sprinkled with bike lanes. I’d like to see them become new communities of their own, really, not some bump on the outer reaches of a municipal planning map!

Yes, it’s a long wish list! Given all that, and the smart use of highly efficient and renewable energy sources, perhaps I can live with some new housing development. Can you?

Who knew that human hair could be so useful? Aside from keeping our heads warm, and for some, providing a signature style, apparently it can be used to clean oil from water. Like, say, the environmental disaster of an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico that’s affecting marine and shore wildlife, air quality and time will tell what else.

I get my hair cut at Civello, which has four salons in Toronto and Oakville. I just found out that these Aveda salons are among many worldwide that are providing human hair – yes, that hair they sweep up after your haircut – to Matter of Trust, an ecological public charity based in the US.

Under their Hair Mat Oil Spill Program, Matter of Trust receive hair clippings from salons, then weaves into recycled nylon mats and sausage shaped hair booms. These mats and booms are then used to encircle and contain oil spills to keep oil from spreading and causing further environmental damage.

Here’s a neat video showing how it works.

So I guess it’s time for me to get a haircut, because Civello is currently collects hair clippings from every single haircut guest to send to Matter of Trust. According to the salons, they plan continue to collect clippings for as long as Matter of Trust will accept donations at their temporary warehouse facilities along the Gulf Coast.

Do you know about a small business that’s doing something helpful for our environment?

What's lurking beneath the leaves?

A few nights ago it was very cold in Toronto. Despite the fact that we’ve had daytime highs in the upper 20s and nights in the double digits, once again a frost warning was in effect. Concerned about my plants, I was about to bring in a pair of verdant, healthy potted basil plants when I spotted them: aphids.

The now-chilly plant was dotted with tiny light-coloured ovals, and it made my skin crawl. This poor basil I’d worked hard to grow from a little seedling was beset with bugs! I had to leave the plants in my sunroom — I couldn’t bring the aphids into the house — but that night I put two large jugs of hot water beside the plants to help moderate the temperature, and they made it through the night with just a bit of a droop.

I consulted my favourite gardening magazine and trolled the internet for earth-friendly ideas for ridding plants of aphids. It seemed a thorough application of soapy water was the answer. Choosing a EcoLogo-certified, dye-free, scent-free soap, I made up a mixture in a spray bottle.

I was worried that the soap would kill the basil (or that it would just make my basil taste like soap), but I figured the plants are under attack, so anything I did to rid them of the aphids would be better than death by aphid.

First, I moved the plants into a large bin to try to contain them – and all the soap I’d be spritzing onto them. Next, I cleaned off the area the plants had been sitting with an EcoLogo-certified glass cleaner, hoping that that would dislodge any bugs or their eggs so I could sweep them away with a rag.

Then all that was left to do was point and shoot. I spritzed that basil until the leaves were dripping with soapy bubbles, aiming for each leaf, top and bottom. I was merciless – I kept it up even as the stems sagged under the weight of all that soapy water. I even spritzed the soil, hoping to drown some bugs seeking refuge in the compost.

The next day I saw far fewer aphids on the basil – the treatment must be working. But determined to get rid of them all, I spritzed again. And again the next day.

As I watch my basil come back to health (I think it likes all the attention) I’m left to wonder where the aphids came from. The plants were in my sunroom, not outdoors, and the other sunroom plants seem clean. Perhaps they came with the basil, and the aphids were just dormant at first.

Wherever they came from, I know where those aphids are going: slowly but surely, to their soapy death!
Will I eat the basil at some point? Probably yes. After close inspection — and a thorough washing to remove all that soap!

Have you had to kill off any pests yet this year?

And don’t forget to enter my contest to win a pair of sustainably sourced sterling-silver earrings!

No, they’re not some old earrings that have been languishing in my jewelry box, they’re new earrings made with sterling silver that’s been recycled from scrap metal; about half comes from jewelers or from refineries that recycle scrap metal. What it isn’t: metal that’s been newly mined to make your earrings, at the expense of the environment. For example, silver is mined in Strathcona Provincial Park on Vancouver Island. Who would want jewelry that’s made at the expense of that landscape?

Who’s making this jewelry? TerraCycle, a Canadian recycler that has many other products made using recycled materials, such as these products I noted in an earlier post, which are made with kids’ lunch packaging. Crossing all of their sustainability t’s, TerraCycle’s silver is certified by a third-party.

Where can you buy this sustainable jewelry, including pretty, glittery pendants and delicate earrings? Walmart stores across Canada, for $16 to $29. According to the release, Walmart Canada has three long-term sustainability goals: to produce zero waste, to be powered by 100 per cent renewable energy, and to sell products that sustain people and the environment.

So, how can you get your hands on this lovely pair of earrings? Just post a comment, and I’ll pick a random winner on Monday, May 17th at 5 p.m.

Hello Eco Logic readers! I’m on vacation this week, but I’m looking forward to coming back next week with some great experiences with local food, protected forests and authentic cultural heritage to share.